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Akireiki (TAJ Arc)
John awoke in the middle of the Kurosaki Winery courtyard. I can already tell this is going to be a stupid day. He got up and folded up his mat and blanket and made his way back to his room. When he got there, he changed into his battle gear and headed out to the sparring area where Hikaru was waiting. "Morning, John-kohai," said Hikaru. He's really angry. thought John. Hikaru's usage of the -kohai suffix always meant he was disappointed in the person he was about to train. In his book, the use of -kohai was more offensive than not attaching a suffix in polite conversation when speaking in Japanese. At least, that's the message he wanted to send. "Good morning...Kurosaki-sensei." Hikaru nodded, "Good guess, John-kohai." He turned to the well next to him. "We're going to Shadow Island today." "Leaving me out of the party, Hikaru-san?" Came the voice from the bench beside the courtyard's field. It was none other than the silver-haired comrade from the past, Seireitou Kawahiru, munching on an apple he took from one of the neighboring trees. Immediately, he spit out an apple seed, aiming for the red-haired Yonkō's head. Hikaru slashed the seed into oblivion. The drawing of his sword couldn't be seen. "Stay out of this, Seireitou." "Seiretou...Kawahiru?" asked the bewildered John. "As in the Yonkō of Hakuda?" "Bingo." he answered in response to John's question, jumping to his feet as he looked toward Hikaru. "What, no Grey-hairs remark? It's obviously someone's time of the month." Seireitou mused, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Hikaru's reiatsu rose with the rage present in his eyes. "I do not have time for this." John shivered at Hikaru's energy, but he noticed Seireitou payed it no mind. Guess they must be peers. Just standing near Hikaru is weakening me. "And why is that, Hikaru-kohai? Could it be because I kicked Mizu's ass? Could it be because you can't beat me anymore like you used to? Could it be that despite having once been regarded as the strongest, you've returned to being a groundling? Or could it be that... you suck as a teacher?" Seireitou would start. He knew Hikaru was upset about something, and seeing the red-haired man in such an angry mood was a rare sight indeed. But the silver-haired man had a reason for provoking a response. Perhaps in order to find out what was bothering his old friend, in his own unique way. Hikaru was silent. He raised his sword above him. "Getsuga..." John's eyes widened. At this point, please read my mind, Seireitou-sama. STOP HIM NOW! "Even if he did attack... Hikaru's attack wouldn't make its hit. He knows as well as I do." Seireitou stated to reassure John, whom was clearly frightened by the level of power exerting from Hikaru's body and sword. "Hikaru... Let me explain something to you. Perhaps it is true that this John person beside you has achieved a state of power where he has stunted his growth. But I wouldn't call it a failure. In fact, I daresay John most closely relates to you." he continued, sitting back down on the bench, lifting one foot up to rest on his other knee. "When a mentor instructs a disciple, the student often reflects a very specific aspect of their mentor, whether it be a trait of personality, of ability, or even of nature. John... reflects something so close to you that none of your other students have ever come close to it. It is for that reason that John's growth is stunted, Hikaru. Because your own growth has been stunted. It is why you find yourself unable to master , no matter how long you train or how long you work at it. No matter how much you water the branches, the tree with rotten roots will not grow." he would explain, snatching his apple from before and taking another bite from it. "Furthermore, it is not a failure of yourself as a teacher... more so than it is a failure of yourself as a person. As a warrior. But that is something you must understand of yourself. Now then... regarding John. From my recollection... he possesses three . Therefore, for him to truly obtain true power and efficiency, he must master himself. If you seek to rely on your weapon to gain power, you can never become its master. You must first become your own master. And he must do so to an extent that is three times the level of a standard . In other words..." Seireitou put down the apple and pointed at John. "John must master first." "Wait," said John. "You're saying that the reason I lost was because of my reliance on Akireiki and my other swords?" "Correct." the silver-haired man answered. "You and Hikaru both share that flaw. And it is for that reason that you find yourself unable to improve under his guidance. Because this is something Hikaru himself hasn't yet understood about his own power. How can the student master something that his mentor himself hasn't learned?" Seireitou continued, looking over at Hikaru. "It's about him, isn't it? That's fine. Gather your thoughts on the Shadow Island and I'll take over John's training." he offered. Hikaru's sternness remained steady, then his reiatsu quieted down. He sheathed his sword and a portal opened before him. "Hikaru?" asked John tentatively. Hikaru turned towards his old friend. "Sei, there's an extra room here at the Winery. Why don't you stay for a while? It'd be nice to have the company." Seireitou kept his arms in front of his chest. "I wouldn't want to impose, Hikaru-san. Besides, me and wine? I'd drink you right into bankruptcy." Hikaru smirked. "We only sell 50% of the wine made, and this has been a good year. It's no trouble at all." He turned towards the portal. "Bring that nice girl you met and see if either of you make a dent in our stores." He leapt through the gate, with it closing like a zipper behind him. "He's not kidding," said John, more relaxed now that Hikaru was gone. "We do great business, but 50% of our wine is excess, and its quite an excess." Step One "John!" Seireitou stated firmly. "We won't waste a single moment. When I'm finished with you, you'll truly become powerful. You better survive." he warned. John jumped to attention. "Yes sir!" Don't do anything stupid...Don't do anything stupid...wait...SURVIVE?! Why do I feel ill at ease when HE says it? "First things first." Seireitou began, revealing that he was suddenly holding four swords in individual sheathes. John would realize that they were his Zanpakutō; somehow, Seireitou had took all four of them. "Give me the run-down on each of these swords. Names, powers, et cetera." Any normal person would be surprised. Living with people like him has really dulled my sensitivity to this sort of thing. "Akireiki is the sword with the dark orange hilt. He becomes something like a skeletal maple leaf when released, and I can command him to assume different shapes like a claymore or a whip. He deals primarily with Wind-based techniques I later found out." He pointed to the white Zanpakutō with a blue hilt. "Fuyu No Arashi's powers lie in Water and Ice-based attacks...well, I guess Wintry Wind is more accurate." He looked to the wakizashi that Seireitou held near Fuyu No Arashi. "That one is Haru Hyōki, the short sword. He...She...Haru is the stranger one of the four. Despite being one sword, there are two spirits, one male and one female, that inhabit it. They're basically the same, but it does get confusing as to how to refer to...them. Haru's powers lie in Earth element attacks and revitalization, kind of how spring is the season of renewed life." He looked at the last sword with some disdain. "Ryojō is the last one. He's a Fire-type Zanpakutō, and he hates my guts. The only move I know he has is using a thunderbolt. Guess lightning is a type of fire." John heaved a heavy sigh. "That's all I know about them. Akireiki was my first sword, but even now it feels like he's distant." "This is why Zanjutsu won't work for you. At least, not in the sense that you'll be able to work together with your Zanpakutō. It'd be impossible to use Shikai with more than one at a time, two if you were really really skilled. And even then, you'd cause severe damage to your Haketsu through repeated use. That's why..." Seireitou rose a finger. "You're going to unite these four together and become one being... through Hakuda. In Zanjutsu, the goal is to become your Zanpakutō. Hence, the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō was created by Hanzei Kurosaki to be the pinnacle of Zanjutsu. The act of becoming "Getsuga", which is the skill of the clan's blades. However... in Hakuda, this is reversed. We truly attain mastery through returning the matured Zanpakutō within our bodies and merging with it completely. I, however, found a unique way to do so while also retaining my individuality with Hanullim, my own Zanpakutō. However... you, who has four, would have to completely fuse all four of them within you, taming them completely and assuming each of their identities and powers. Only then... will you become balanced." John's eyes widened at what Seireitou was suggesting. "All four swords...as one?" He paused for a moment to take it all in. "So, would I become some kind of season deity or something?" "I suppose you could say that... Let me explain why we have to pursue this, in more technical terms." Seireitou would sit down, raising his foot to his other knee, as he looked toward John; as if he was his grandfather telling him a story. "The Soul Sleep is essentially... a gate. A gate within you, that separates the Reitoro from your own soul. The Reitoro is also known as the Well of Souls... and the birthplace of all Zanpakutō spirits. The Soul Sleep also acts as a limiter of spiritual energy, that slowly allows more and more power to enter the body through constant training. However, forcing it open will cause more spiritual energy to flow within the body. Now, it may seem like you're getting stronger, but without reaching proportional physical and mental maturity, the influx of energy will overcome you... and you will die. Kurosaki Ichigo had this happen to him, although there was a Quincy to assist him with the sudden influx. However, his body eventually got used to the feeling of his gate being forced open and it seemed as though he had above-normal spiritual energy. However, because of this... he stunted his own growth. He made it impossible to further ascend. Unless he relied on his Zanpakutō. The same issue happened with you. Normally, only one Zanpakutō goes through this gate and blocks the spiritual energy flow so that the Shinigami may slowly draw power from the Soul Sleep through constant training, becoming stronger. However, since you have four, the gate within you has opened even further and thus, made it impossible to draw on power without shattering it completely... In other words, you're in the same boat as the orange-haired brat. However, in your case... If we make those four Zanpakutō merge with you, they can repair this gate and make it possible for you to continue growing stronger while also obtaining all four of the spirits' power. It's a win-win in the biggest sense of the phrase." he finally finished. "Seems simple enough. Instead of just rotating the powers of my Zanpakutō and breaking myself down, make them into a singular power that utilizes each of their attributes," said John, going over the results out loud. "I'm ready for the training, Seireitou-sensei." Seireitou bore a light smile. "Excellent. Well... this will be a bit different than how I normally conduct a student's training, but it should all work out. But first... I have an important question to ask you, John-chan." the silver-haired man spoke. "Why do you wish to become stronger? For what reason do you seek power?" "Aw man," John scratched the back of his head. "I knew this question was going to come up." He paused. "A long time ago, I let a lot of people die that were under my protection. Since then, I've always needed to protect anyone, even if it cost my life." He turned away. "No, that's not right. I wanted it to cost my life. I wanted to die in battle protecting someone, even if it was my enemy. I just lost all purpose in life. I mean, look around. Does it look like Hikaru needs my help besides manning a wine press? Just him, Mizu, and Kirika alone could handle themselves in combat without any help. You were there in the First Shinigami-Arrancar War. Hikaru slashed through Arrancars like they were rice paper and Mizu was one of the deadliest assassins in the Gotei 13. Kirika even proved herself as a capable fighter with few knowing the true nature of her abilities. Not to mention there's Bella and Kari, the former of whom was a former Los Cinco Dios member and who unlocked a Resurrección Segunda Etapa. Nodoka and Saya show greater abilities than I, and even Sayuri is a strong fighter in her respect." A small tear left John's cheek. "I want to be known for something other than my extreme arrogance. I want to stop being so full of myself and be worth something in this world. I can never match up to Hikaru, but I at least want to be one of those that he can call a trusted comrade." Upon hearing his answer, Seireitou did not answer. He merely turned away, stepping toward the center of the courtyard as he left three of the swords down and held onto the one with the dark orange hilt. He would draw the sword from its scabbard and stab it into the ground in front of him. "Alright. Listen up, John. Step one of your training will be to integrate each of the spirits within your body. For us to do that... we will need to repair the unintentional damage done to your Soul Sleep. Which brings me to my next point..." Seireitou explained, drawing his own blade from its sheath. In a single motion, he pierced the chest of the young John with the tip of his Zanpakutō, causing a faint red light to appear at the point of the stab. Slowly, he pulled back his sword and out began appearing a single link of chains, extending down to his waist. "What the?" said a stunned John. Seireitou sheathed his sword, "I've cut your Saketsu... causing your chain of fate to reappear. The Saketsu and Haketsu work as a pair. The chain and the gate. Energy flows into the gate and flows outwards from the chain of binding, which causes a Shinigami to release spiritual pressure. Spiritual pressure assumes a physical form afterwards, creating the blade of the Zanpakutō in which acts as a medium for the spirit of the weapon, which is derived from the gate of the Soul Sleep. In other words, the Saketsu and Haketsu keep a balance within the body of a Shinigami. Arrancar and Sōzōshin have similar physiology so they too have this innate balance. By sealing your Saketsu alone, the cracked Haketsu gate can no longer emit energy into the four blades. In other words, I've cut off your connection with all four of your Zanpakutō. One by one, you must now be pierced by the Zanpakutō of yours, allowing the spirit to create a new balance with your body's system, creating a new connection with the Soul Sleep which will repair the gate. Once that happens, however, you will possess a unique state of being. No longer will you exist as a Shinigami, per se. The gate will become a new gate, controlled completely by the four souls which are now a part of you. When you've learned to master yourself through Hakuda, you'll be able to access all four abilities through your own power, but you will no longer have Zanpakutō. You will have become a Shinigami without a Zanpakutō, for the beings will have merged together with you. I can ramble on and on about this... but it's better for us to just get on with it." He wielded the dark orange hilt blade and held it for John's chest. Once I've pierced you, there will be no going back. Just like repairing a hole in a wall, you must widen the hole in order to fill it with plaster. So too must we extend the broken gate and cause it to open further, putting you in a very dangerous position. You'll need to overcome the pain of accepting each of the four Zanpakutō, one after another. Just doing something like this with one Zanpakutō can cause the user's death... so four will be far worse. Make sure you're ready to do this." the silver-haired man warned. John looked down at the chain. It now seemed shorter than before. A link was missing. "I'm not going to ask what happens if I fail." He raised his head towards Seireitou, the spark of determination igniting in his eyes. "So I'll just power on through." He stood upright. "Do it." The silver-haired man smiled at John's indomitable spirit. "Very well then." Blade One: Akireiki "Here goes... something." Seireitou muttered, as he thrust the the blade forward, slamming it deep into the origin of the man's Saketsu. The pain felt from the blade's penetration of his chest didn't hit John until 2 seconds later. He howled in pain, resisting the urge to grab the sword and toss it out of him. It felt as though the blade's sharpness would cause it to saw right through him from gravity. He winced in pain, trying to endure this ordeal. His eyes were shut tight as he tried to focus on something other than the pain. It was only then that he heard someone crying deep inside his mind. It was Akireiki. In the midst of chaos and pain, John ran toward the voice of his partner. As he drew closer, the pain intensified. "Can't...get...past...the pain!" "Do you... not realize?" came the voice once more. Admist the pain and turmoil, a bright white background appeared, and in its slight windy surrounding, stood two figures. One was clearly John, but the other one was a mysterious person. "Can you hear me now, John...?" John frantically felt his person. For the moment the pain had disappeared. Yet, an extreme emptiness was in its place. "Who are you? Where's Akireiki?" "...hear... with... I... not..." But it was no use. Despite how loud the spirit spoke, the voice could not completely get through. "Wait! AGH!" Reality kicked in, and John suffered once more from the near-fatal wound inflicted on him. The raging anguish from the blade flowed through John. Anguish...anguish...separation...that's it! Outwardly, John gripped his sword, and pushed it in deeper. Strangely, the pain began to lessen. A vision of his Saketsu appeared as a shattered circular gate. Energy violently flowed out of it, whipping wildly at anything near it, slowly destroying what was left of the gate. As John approached it, the energy limbs began to attack where John walked, attempting to intimidate him. John paid no mind to this. He came to the gate, scrutinizing the circle. A wind whistled past his ear, and he directed his attention to the source: the left part of the circle. He touched his hand to the gate, feeling Akireiki's energy surge through once more. "The pain is gone..." "I never thought you'd get to this point, John-kun." mused a voice from behind. It was the Zanpakutō, Akireiki, standing before his master. "I am impressed that you got this far though. Never thought you would, but that silver-haired geezer on the outside seems to know his stuff." Akireiki continued. John smiled. "Yeah, he sure does." He thought better of comparing Hikaru to Seireitou. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, and lifting one or the other on a pedestal would be meaningless. He pressed his palm to the gate once more, using the regained energy to repair the damages done. As he did so, autumn leaves began flowing to where his hand was, transforming into a solid orange wedge. The result was one quarter of the gate closed off, the energy stabilizing slightly. Outside, John became calm. He let go of the blade and looked up to Seireitou. "Any idea as to see if it worked or not?" "Hmm..." Seireitou picked up the apple he was eating earlier and then threw it at John. If he truly obtained Akireiki's power... The movements John made were near instantaneous. The apple fell to the ground, cleanly slashed in two. The wind fang that John unleashed made its way heavenward, bisecting a large cloud in two and pushing the new halves away from each other. "Did...did that just happen?" asked John. "I thought Kamaitachi No Kiba needed a present storm to activate." "The storm is inside of you now. But no time to talk! I told you, it's dangerous." Seireitou answered. John coughed, spewing some blood. "Oh, right. Dangerous. Let's get to the next blade." Blade Two: Fuyu No Arashi Seireitou picked up another of the blades laying down on the courtyard's center, and drew it. Then, as if it were a lance, he aimed for John and threw it, forcing it to stab him right where the first Zanpakutō struck him. :NEXT INSTALLMENT: Fuyu No Arashi (TAJ Arc)